The present invention relates to improvements in connectors for printed circuit boards and, more particularly, to an interface wafer for preventing inadvertent separation of such connectors from a circuit board or other connector.
The ever-increasing use of equipment employing electronic circuitry has caused a substantial increase in the utilization of integrated circuits. Such circuits may take the form of a board upon which the electronic circuitry is printed and from which contact members or conductors extend outward from the sides in the plane of the board. These circuit boards are generally electrically linked to one another, to other electronic components and to a power source by connectors which generally utilize the resilient pressure of metal terminals mounted within the connector body against conductors soldered to and projecting from the circuit board for firm electrical contact. In some situations, however, where the equipment is subject to stress or strain, such a connection can result in the accidental separation of a circuit board and associated connector with a subsequent loss of electrical contact.
The use of printed circuit boards has become economically attractive for several reasons. They are relatively inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and printed circuit boards greatly reduce material and labor costs associated with wiring electronic equipment. In fact, it has become economically sound to replace an entire defective circuit board rather than individual components, as a result of the high cost of labor necessary to locate and repair or replace the defective component. The advantages inherent in the use of circuit boards are not fully realized, however, since methods presently employed to mechanically couple circuit boards are not conducive to their efficient removal and replacement, and the cumulative labor cost involved in such an operation can be substantial. Those devices which do attempt to aid in the removal of defective circuit boards, e.g., the connector taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,954, are cumbersome because to remove the board, one must pry open the mechanism which locks the connector and the circuit board together, which is a fairly difficult operation that may require the use of a special tool or protective covering for the hands.